Roller retainer for dishwashers

ABSTRACT

A dishwasher appliance roller retainer and a method for producing the roller retainer for a dishwashing appliance. The roller retainer for the dishwashing appliance includes a central element permanently fastened to the dishwasher tub. The invention includes a roller element on the central element for receiving rail elements.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation, under 35 U.S.C. § 120, of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/833,795, filed Apr. 28, 2004, which is a continuation, under 35 U.S.C. § 120, of International Application PCT/EP02/12030, filed Oct. 28, 2002, which designated the United States; this application also claims the priority, under 35 U.S.C. § 119, to German Application No. 101 54 557.6, filed Nov. 7, 2001.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a roller retainer for dishwashing machines for receiving rail elements, which are suited to bear dish racks, comprising a central element, suitable for being permanently attached to a rinse container, and a roller element, which is arranged on the central element and designed such that it is suitable for receiving rail elements.

Roller retainers for dishwashing machines of the abovementioned type are known, in which at least two roller retainers are pre-mounted on a metal band, and this metal band is fastened to the inner surface of the rinse container during final installation of the dishwashing machine by means of joining methods, for example spot welding.

To manufacture these known roller retainers it is necessary to employ tools and equipment in order to fix at least both roller retainers to the metal band in pre-installation, to finally fasten the metal band with the roller retainers attached thereto in the rinse container of the dishwashing machine.

It has proven a disadvantage with these roller retainers that a relatively large number of individual components is required to provide the roller retainers or the pre-mounted metal bands, and the fastening method is both time-intensive and cost-intensive, because welding plants and adjusting devices have to be readied to arrange the pre-fabricated roller retainer components precisely in the rinse container of the dishwashing machine.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention therefore is to provide roller retainers, which can be manufactured in few production steps and then installed in the dishwashing machine likewise with few installation steps.

The inventive roller retainer having the features according to claim 1 solves this task. Advantageous further developments are characterised in the dependent claims 2 to 8.

With the inventive roller retainer for dishwashing machines for receiving rail elements, which are suited to bear dish racks, a central element is provided, which is suited to be fastened permanently on a rinse container; furthermore, a roller element is provided, which is designed to be arranged on the central element such that it is suited for receiving rail elements, whereby the central element is attached directly on the rinse container.

A connecting area, which is suited for direct (i.e. without intermediate element) connection to the rinse container, is provided advantageously on the central element. The connecting area is designed appropriately as an area substantially tapering relative to the central element and suitable to be lead through a corresponding bore in the rinse container to thus be fastened on the outside of the rinse container, optionally by means of fastening means, for example a screw or rivet.

The rinse container is sealed appropriately with corresponding sealing means opposite the rinsing liquor, whereby these sealing means are arranged according to different embodiments of the inventive roller retainer.

In a preferred embodiment of the inventive roller retainer sealing means are reverse-drawn in the form of a sealing ring (e.g. O-ring) via the connecting area, so that any possible leakage in the rinse container interior is sealed. To obtain a reliable and permanent sealing surface between the central element and the inner surface of the rinse container, it is effective to provide corresponding surface quality on the central element for one and on the rinse container for another.

In another preferred embodiment corresponding sealing means, for example a sealing ring, is reverse-drawn via the connecting area, whereby the sealing region lies on the outside of the rinse container. Here, corresponding sealing surfaces are to be provided equally effectively.

In yet another preferred embodiment of the present roller retainer the entire joint between the central element connecting area and the inside of the rinse container is filled with a sealing compound, whereby this sealing means can particularly effectively also fulfil an adhesive function, and thus further fastening means, such as for example screws or rivets would not be required.

In an embodiment of the inventive roller retainer, which requires fastening means for fastening the roller retainer on the rinse container, these fastening means may comprise screws, rivets or other suitable fastening means, whereby in particular a corresponding inner thread is to be provided in the connecting area of the central element when a screw is utilised.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Four embodiments of the present invention will now be explained in greater detail hereinbelow by means of diagrams, in which:

FIG. 1 is a sectional representation of an inventive roller retainer with sealing means on the outside of the rinse container;

FIG. 2 is a sectional representation of an inventive roller retainer with a sealing ring in the interior of the rinse container;

FIG. 3 is a sectional representation of an inventive roller retainer with a sealing compound between central element and interior of the rinse container;

FIG. 4 is a sectional representation of an inventive roller retainer with a non-adhesive sealing compound between central element and rinse container interior, as well as fastening means on the outside of the rinse container.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows a roller retainer with a central element 1 and a roller element 3 arranged peripherally thereon, which is held on by a shoulder 5 extending concentrically about the axis of rotation of the central element 1. For sealing opposite the rinsing liquid the inventive roller retainer has, according to FIG. 1, means for sealing 6 a, held on the outside of the rinse container by means of a fastening element 10, for example a screw, whereby preferably, as illustrated, a plain washer 9 applies corresponding distribution of pressure on the means for sealing 6 a and the outside of the rinse container. The roller element 3 of the inventive roller retainer for dishwashing machines receives a rail element 8 of a group of rail elements that are suited to bear dish racks.

For sealing the rinsing liquid the embodiment of the inventive roller retainer illustrated in FIG. 2 has a sealing ring 6 b, arranged between the central element 1 and the rinse container interior 4, and thus effectively seals any possible leakage area along the break in the rinse container 4. Fastening is done by fastening means 10, which are screwed in via a plain washer 9 from the outside of the rinse container 4 into the connecting area 2 of the inventive roller retainer.

The inventive roller retainer according to FIG. 3 is fastened by a sealing and adhesive layer 6 c, applied between the central element 1 and the rinse container 4, whereby it is positioned precisely via the connecting area 2, and the gap around the connecting area 2 is likewise filled with adhesive. In an embodiment (not illustrated) of the inventive roller retainer the connecting area 2 can also be omitted, if corresponding means are ready with an adhesive effect.

In the inventive roller retainer according to FIG. 4 sealing means 6 c are arranged in the interstice to be sealed between central element 1 and rinse container 4, which means is painted on for example as a paste around the connecting area 2 during assembly, but the retention force id realised by fastening means 10, arranged on the outside of the rinse container 4. 

1. A dishwasher, comprising: a rinse container with an inside surface defining a volume in which a dish rack is received, and an outside surface; a rail element suitable to support the dish rack in the rinse container; and a roller retainer coupled with the rail element, said roller retainer including: a central element directly attached to said rinse container and at least partly received in the rail element; a roller element arranged on said central element and being positioned and inserted within the rail element; and a seal that seals said central element onto said rinse container.
 2. The dishwasher of claim 1, wherein the seal comprises rubber.
 3. The dishwasher of claim 1, wherein the seal is reverse drawn.
 4. The dishwasher of claim 1, wherein the seal comprises a paste.
 5. The dishwasher of claim 1, wherein the seal comprises an adhesive such that it is not necessary to fix the central element to the rinse container with a separate fastener.
 6. The dishwasher of claim 1, wherein the rinse container includes a throughbore, and the central element includes a connecting area that extends at least partly though the throughbore, and wherein the seal covers the entire joint between the connecting area and the inside surface of the rinse container.
 7. The dishwasher of claim 1, wherein the rail element has a C-shape cross section with an opening facing the inside surface.
 8. The dishwasher of claim 7, wherein the opening is dimensioned to be less than the diameter of the roller, to secure the rail element relative to the roller.
 9. A dishwasher, comprising: a rinse container with an inside surface defining a volume in which a dish rack is received, and an outside surface; a rail element suitable to support the dish rack in the rinse container; and a roller retainer coupled with the rail element, said roller retainer including: a central element attached to said rinse container; a roller element arranged on said central; a seal that seals said central element onto said rinse container; and a washer provided on the outside surface of the rinse container.
 10. The dishwasher of claim 9, wherein the seal and the washer are made of different materials.
 11. The dishwasher of claim 10, wherein the seal comprises rubber.
 12. The dishwasher of claim 9, wherein the seal is provided between the washer and the central element.
 13. The dishwasher of claim 12, wherein the seal is provided on the outside surface of the rinse container, adjacent the washer, and wherein the washer is configured to apply pressure on the seal and the outside surface of the rinse container.
 14. The dishwasher of claim 12, wherein the seal is provided on the inside surface of the rinse container.
 15. A dishwasher, comprising: a rinse container with an inside surface defining a volume in which a dish rack is received, and an outside surface; a rail element suitable to support the dish rack in the rinse container; and a roller retainer coupled with the rail element, said roller retainer including: a central element attached to the inside surface of said rinse container; a roller element arranged on said central element; a seal that seals said central element onto said rinse container; and a fastener having a head provided on the outside surface of the rinse container.
 16. The dishwasher of claim 15, wherein the fastener is a screw and the central element includes inner threads to receive threads of the screw.
 17. The dishwasher of claim 15, wherein the central element includes a connecting portion that extends at least partly though a through hole in the rinse container, and the connecting portion includes said inner threads. 